Erik van Rooyen once again showed the world his ankles and his ability to play at the highest level.
Say what you like about his fashion – flat caps and jogger pants which David Feherty labelled ‘ankle stranglers’ – you cannot deny Van Rooyen’s brilliant all-round game play and appetite to compete with the best.
The 30-year-old’s response to the chance of landing the biggest title of his career – his trophy cabinet is modest and bears ‘just’ the Scandinavian Invitation alongside the Eye of Africa PGA Championship 2017 win which was followed by his lone win on the European Challenge Tour later the same year at the Hainan Open – was typical of the man he is.
‘A good week to ring in the 30’s. Fun in Mexico! #Vamos’ he wrote on Twitter. No moaning or what might’ve beens. He’s staying in the moment and enjoying the journey. His media conferences and opportunities are filled with ‘we’ references, not in an annoying way but rather in that his golf is a team game where he relies on his coach, trainer and caddie and then himself in equal parts. It’s a process-driven approach – just like his putting – which continues to yield success.
Like many South Africans in the sport, he’s a product of the country of his birth as well as the systems that drive excellence in sport. To this, he spent time at the University of Minnesota honing his game and finding his wife, Rose.
Digging deeper into his thoughts after a tough Sunday spent in the company of Justin Thomas and eventual winner, Patrick Reed, with the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy ahead, he gave a refreshingly honest review of his round.
‘You know what, I felt better than I did yesterday, and I think it was a lot more going on yesterday. I got off to a really good start again today. 10 and 12 obviously hurt quite bad. You know, I’m not trying to hit it over the green out of that bunker. So, that sucks. But you know what, I think I played some really good golf the last four days, and I think I can hold my head high,’ he said.
Not part of the elite Oosthuizen-Schwartzel-Grace line, as part of the next wave of local stars Van Rooyen has had to blast his own path. He’s been criticised in the past for his ‘mechanical’ putting approach but it must be working – he’s now ranked 40th in the world so this week is no fluke.
Being so focused on the outcomes and aware that they are the fruit of hours spent on the range and/or travelling to fit in with the demands of being a global player, he never gave an inch on Sunday as he scrapped for every shot in a bid to cash in (monetary rewards are on the site as well as an update on his lofty world ranking) on a week tussling with golf’s elite.
‘I mean, there’s still so much to play for. Yes, we all want to win, but at the same time, I’m trying to finish as high as I possibly can, so I’m not going to go lie down after a bogey. I think we had a really good finish, gave myself a few good chances coming down the stretch, and my game is in great shape. I’m looking forward to the next one.’
He may wake up a little stiff from the hills at Club de Golf Chapultepec and mentally drained, too, but he’s still young enough to relish the stage.
‘So much. I love being here. I can’t wait to be in this position again,’ he said.
It would be unwise to bet against that next moment come very, very soon.
